Railroad coupling device.



. had to the accompanying drawings, which i es Patented June 2, 1903.

CALVIN Gr. TURNER, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

RAILROAD COUPLING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 729,813, dated J une 2, 1903.

Application iiled September 29, '1902. Serial No. 125,155. (N0 Dwdei- .To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN G. TURNER,.a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Wilmington, in` the county of Newcastle, in the State of Delaware, have'invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad Coupling Devices, of which the following is a true and exact descriptiomreference being form a part thereof.

My invention relates to couplers for railway-vehicles, and has for its object to provide improved means for coupling such vehicles on short or reversed curves, my invention being especially intended and adapted for application to switching-engines.

The nature of my improvements Willbe"` Figure lis a front View of my improved coupling device With the coupling-head removed; Fig; 2, a plan View of the coupling device in what I believe to be its best form with the coupling-head shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the locking-hooks which are preferably used in connection with the pivotbeam.

A indicates the coupler-beam, which, as shown, is provided with braces A', by which it is secured to the end of the switching-engine.

B B are cast heads secured on the end of the beam and of usual form, except that they are shown as provided with a curved bearing, (indicated at B,) over which a Wire rope can readily move.

C is a pivot-bearing attahed to the center of the beam A. As shown, OfY C are pivotbearings attachedto the side of the beam A;

D D' D representa beam built up, as shown, of a front plate D,secured to horizontal top and bottom plates D D by proper braces, the top and bottom plates D D having the approximately triangular shape shown and carrying at their inner taper parts the pivot-bearings LZ CZ', through which and the pivot-bearing C the pivot-pin passes. To the top and bottom of the beam D D D' are secured the guide- Ways, (indicated at D2 D) and the top plate of the beam is provided with latching-notches,

as indicated at D3 D3, while the ends of the beam, as illustrated, are provided with eyes D4-D4.

E E are guide-pulleys secured on the rear side of the beam A.

F is a wire rope secured to the eyes D4 D4 and passing back over the rounded surface B' of the heads B B and over the pulleys E E, as shown. This Wire rope serves simply the purpose of a guard to keep operatives Y the guideways D2 D2, while hooked ends H2 H2 engage behind said Aguideways, thus securing the headiD firmly to the beam D D' D', While permitting it to slide freely in either direction thereon.

I, Fig. 2, indicates a coupling-head which is, as shown, pivotally secured to the perforated bearings of the head H, which are indicated at H3.

It will be seen that the head H, carrying the coupling-head, is by my construction free to slide, if necessaryyfrom end to end of the beam D D, which freedom gives a great range ,of operation to the coupling-head and enables couplings to he made under conditions which with ordinary constructions will be impracticable. My1 construction' not only enables such couplings to be made, but permit-s the coupling-head to adapt itself to changed conditions with the greatest ease, owing to the Vfreedom of thehead H to slide on the guideways. It will also be obvious that a further and much greater'facility for coupling under difiicult conditions is aiorded by the pivotal connection of the beam carrying the guide- Ways with the vehicle, whilethe pivot-beam carrying the guideways can be secured in fixed position on the vehicle by the engagement of the hookedv arms G`With the pivotal beam.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. As acoupling device, a gnideway adapted to extend transversely across the end of a railway-vehicle, in combination with a head secured on said gnideway so as to extend in front of the guideway and to slide transversely thereon, and a coupler secured to said sliding head.

2. As a coupling device, a guideway adapted to extend transversely across lthe end ofa. railway-vehicle, in combination with a head secured on said guideway so as to extend in front of the gnideway and to slide transversely thereon, lmd a coupler pvotally secured to said sliding head in front of the r 5 guideway.

3. As a coupling device a beam adapted to 

